MY LABOR AND DELIVERY STORY

Thursday, May 31, 2018



Woah I cannot believe I'm writing this post. I cannot believe I'm writing it while little Nico sleeps right beside my bed.

**You can see our pregnancy announcement HERE,  some frequently asked questions HERE, the story on how I told my parents HERE, and a personal article on body image during pregnancy**

I've noticed I always go back to the beginning. So let's do this: I found out I was pregnant almost instantly. It's like my body knew even before I missed my period.

After telling Gabe, my first decision was to change from an OB-GYN to a midwife. I wanted a different approach to this pregnancy. When I miscarried in 2017,  my ob-gyn lacked touch- his words were " you passed it all" while I was still processing everything that had just happened.

 I started reading how midwifes and doulas are more personable and I don't regret my decision. I found a midwife (or a mid husband as I called him for the past 40 weeks) and Gabe and I really liked him. We liked how he would still delivered babies at a hospital, but the approach was more holistic and modern technology was only used when necessary. I barely had ultrasounds, and  a c-section would be the last resource.



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¡Wow! No puedo creer que estoy escribiendo este post mientras Nico duerme a mi lado. Quería compartir con ustedes la historia del día que nació Nico. Prepárense para un post extra largo- especialmente porque siempre les cuento todo desde el principio. Empecemos:

Después de decirle a Gabe que estaba embarazada, mi primera decisión fue cambiar de un ginecólogo a un midwife (como una matrona, pero como era hombre de cariño le decíamos el patrón). Después de mi pérdida el año pasado, quería un trato más personal y me recomendaron mucho las doulas y los midwifes.  Conocimos a Richard, el midwife, y nos encantó su manera de trabajar; seguía teniendo un enfoque más natural pero sus pacientes dan a luz en los hospitales. Casi no tuve ecosonogramas y una cesárea hubiese sido la última opción en dado caso que alguno de los dos estuviese en peligro.








I feel very lucky that my whole pregnancy went by-the-book.  The midwife kept joking that the baby read the manual because everything happened at the exact week it was supposed to happen. For example: I had a little bit of nausea during the first trimester and it instantly stopped as soon as I reached my 13th week.

Around week 32, the baby was already head down. When I went to my Week 37 appointment, I was 1cm dilated and 25% effaced (effacement is the thinning of the cervix). That day, the Dr. said "Maybe I'll see you tonight or maybe next week" and I got so nervous. My parents started changing their flights to Miami "just in case"and you could feel some sort of tension in the air (a good type of tension, of course). We started prepping the hospital bag,  finishing washing the baby clothes and blankets, painting the apartment , and more.

Later that week I lost the mucus plug (don't google it, there are graphic images in the www world- now you are definitely googling it right haha, all my friends did). It's exactly that, a plug made out of mucus that protects the uterus from bacteria. This was another sign that labor was approaching- but again, it could have been that night or a few weeks later!

So week 38 came by, I was now 3cm dilated and 60% effaced. My midwife told me how I definitely have been having contractions but I had not felt a single thing. I was hoping I would be a crazy exception that goes into labor without pain (spoiler alert, this did not happen!!).  He said goodbye with the same words "See you tonight or maybe on the week 39 appointment!".



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¡Me siento muy afortunada que tuve un embarazo muy saludable! El doctor decía que el bebé se había leído el manual porque cada semana hacía lo que le tocaba hacer. En la semana 32 ya estaba volteado. En la cita de la semana #37 me enteré que ya había comenzado a dilatar y tenía 25% de borramiento del cuello uterino. Ese día el doctor me dijo que tal vez nos veíamos en el hospital esa noche, que ya era decisión del bebé.  Mis papás cambiaron hasta sus vuelos a Miami por temor a que se adelantara el parto- y no les miento, me puse bastante nerviosa. Arreglé el bolso de la clínica, nos pusimos a lavar la ropa de bebé, ordenar el apartamento, pintar y más.

Esa misma semana boté el tapón mucoso (no se pongan a buscarlo en google que hay fotos muy gráficas y no es muy agradable); pero es otra señal de que el trabajo de parto esta comenzando. ¡Más nerviosa me puse!

Pero nada, llegó la semana 38 y ahora tenía 3cm de dilatación y 60% del borramiento del cuello uterino. ¿Pueden creer que yo todavía no había sentido nada? Mi doctor me dijo que definitivamente había tenido contracciones. Parte de mí quería ser una excepción loca de esas que entran a la sala de parto sin dolor (¡de una les digo que no fue así).



Mother's Day came by, and a big part of me was hoping for an early Mother's Day gift- but nothing. He was cozy in there and I was glad he was making it to week 39.  So basically the same thing happened on my Week 39 appointment: still 3cm and this time he did not mention effacement. He told me how at Week 40 we would have an assessment to see his size and consider induction or wait another week.

Hearing those words made me go into work-mode, I said to myself "no more waiting at home, I have so much to do and the doctor is talking about 2 more weeks".  Right after the appointment, I headed to the mall to get some outfits to shoot. Then I started listing things on Poshmark with the help of my cousin, we shot a look...and I even got a 1000piece puzzle to keep myself entertained.

Later that night, Gabe and I were watching Netflix and I started feeling some period-like cramps.  Since I had not felt ONE THING, I thought it was my imagination. I thought that pain was Braxton Hicks. Halfway to the episode, I noticed they were not going away so I started timing whatever I thought I was feeling ( I wouldn't even dare to call them contractions). To go to the hospital, the general rule is 5-1-1 (every 5 minutes, lasting 1 minute, for 1 hour). When the episode finished, I was having them every 15 minutes, so I knew I had a long way to 5 minutes and I tried sleeping. The pain was getting stronger so I got in the tub (Cellphone in hand to time them. Many of the baby apps I downloaded have a contraction tracker, SO helpful). At this time, they were around 8 minutes apart.  I couldn't believe they were getting closer together!

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¡Parte de mí quería que naciese el día de la madre!- pero él estaba muy cómodo y yo feliz que llegara a la semana 39. En la siguiente cita me dijeron exactamente lo mismo, seguía 3 cm dilatada. Así que hablamos de venir en la semana #40 y considerar las opciones en dado caso que el estuviese muy grande o si esperar tranquilamente a la semana 41.

Escucharlo hablar de 2 semanas más fue como un " ¡Daniela, no puedes seguir esperando en la casa...hay que trabajar!" Así que me fui al centro comercial a buscar una ropa para el blog. Luego me puse a vender cositas en Poshmark con la ayuda de mi prima, tomamos fotos, y hasta compré un rompecabezas de mil piezas para entretenerme en plena espera.

Como todas las noches, antes de acostarnos estábamos viendo un show en Netflix y ahí fue que empecé a sentir un dolor parecido al de vientre durante el periodo. Pero como no había sentido ningún tipo de dolor, pensé que era mi imaginación.  A la mitad del episodio me dí cuenta que no se me iba el dolor, fuese lo que fuese (porque ni me atrevía a decir que eran contracciones). Para ir al hospital dicen que esperes a que sean 5-1-1 (cada 5 minutos, que duren 1 minuto, por una hora). Muchas de las aplicaciones de embarazada  tienen herramientas para monitorear las contracciones- intenté dormir pero cada vez me daban más y más frecuentemente.





By 2am, I woke Gabe up and told him to get his bag ready with toiletries and a change of clothes- plus we needed to add things like chargers and the camera. I'll talk more about the hospital bag later, I want to share what I took and what I actually used/needed. Our parents were in Miami but I didn't want to call anybody until we knew it was for sure! We headed to the hospital at around 3am, there wasn't a soul in the streets so we arrived quickly to the hospital. It was so empty that the main entrance was closed and I had to stop a few times just to breathe during the contractions.

When we got to the Maternity ER, the nurses didn't believe me when I said I was having them every 5 minutes. I have a HIGH tolerance to pain and while most women need to kneel, I was filing my forms in the middle of pain. The nurses connected me to monitor the baby and track the contractions- instantly I was told I was 5cm, that the contractions were coming strong, and I was going to be admitted. I was in shock, I really thought I would be sent home. There I found out my water never "broke"- well it did, but my Nico was so low that he acted as a plug. A nurse moved him and there it was! Oh and she instantly told me "he has SO much hair", she was right haha!

They took my blood for lab tests and I was admitted into one of the labor rooms.  Many moms told me that there was absolutely no shame in taking the epidural, to not be a hero and take it. I don't know why my blood work took so long, but they wouldn't give me the epidural until then. I waited for 2 hours; and of course, the contractions kept getting stronger and stronger.  Every time someone opened the door I thought it was the anesthesiologist, but nothing!  When she arrived at 6:30am, I was 7 cm. From what I understood, there wouldn't give me the epidural after 8 cm- so I was right on the line for it! To put the epidural in, Gabe had to leave the room. Many friends asked me if the epidural hurts. Honestly,  I just felt a big relief BUT I went so numb I was a little comfortable.

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A eso de las 2am desperté a Gabe para decirle que empezara a preparar su bolso y que añadiéramos lo que faltaba al mío (que si el cargador de tlf). Después les cuento más de lo que llevé y lo que realmente utilicé.  No quisimos avisarle a nuestras familias en dado caso que fuese una falsa alarma. Salimos a la clínica a las 3am- lo mejor de que haya sido a esa hora es que no nos tocó nada de tráfico. Las que viven en Miami saben lo terrible que puede ser la US1 a cualquier hora del día. No había nadie en la entrada de la clínica y las contracciones eran tan fuertes que tenía que pararme a respirar en cada una.  

Cuando llegamos a la parte de emergencia de maternidad, las enfermeras no creían que estuviese en tanto dolor. Yo considero que aguanto bastante dolor y mientras la mayoría de las mujeres se arrodillan, gritan, o lloran, yo estaba llenando los formularios para ingresar. Me conectaron a un monitor para chequear al bebé y ver como iban contracciones. Yo seguía pensando que me iban a devolver a la casa porque nunca rompí fuente (bueno sí, lo que pasa es que Nico estaba tan abajo que no dejó que el agua saliese).

En la sala de emergencia me sacaron la sangre para poder ponerme la epidural. Muchas de las mamás con las que hablé me decían que sin pena aceptara la anestesia, que no me las diera de mujer maravilla- y eso fue lo que hice. El problema fue que no me daban los resultados del examen de sangre, estuve más de dos horas esperándolo y por supuesto, las contracciones cada vez se ponían más fuertes. Cuando finalmente entró al anestesióloga, ya tenía 7cm de dilatación- y según lo que tengo entendido, a los 8cm ya no ponen la epidural.  Todas mis amigas me preguntan si la epidural duele: yo siento que era tanto el desespero entre cada contracción que yo sentí alivio (y un poco de desespero porque no esperaba que se me adormeciera TANTO el cuerpo). 



At 7am there was shift change and my nurse forgot to tell Gabe he could come back to the room. The new nurse helped me change positions and finally let Gabe back in the room. She started checking the monitor and she noticed the contractions were coming stronger than ever. I told her I was 7cm 30 minutes ago, but she wanted to check again. Guess what? I was 10!! She called my midwife in and as soon as he arrived, everything turns into a little bit of a blur for me.  Within seconds, they took some part of the bed out, legs up, and READY TO PUSH!

**The funniest part was seeing my mom calling my dad. My dad gets very nervous in situations like this one. He thought he had at least 5 hours so he left the hospital to paint my bathroom. So you can imagine my mom leaving several voicemails telling him to come back asap!**

My first question to my midwife was "how am I supposed to push when everything is so numb"; he told me just to go for it!  And that's exactly what I did when the contractions came in. He kept joking saying that I have done this before because I was pushing like a pro (whatever being a pro at pushing means haha). Then I noticed Gabe was crying, and I just looked at him like ARE YOU OKAY!? And within a second, they put Nico in my chest- I couldn't believe it! We had a few minutes skin-to skin before they took him to a little table behind my bed where the nurses weighted him, measured him and let Gabe cut the umbilical cord. There he was, Nico was born on May 17th, 2018 at 6lbs 3 oz and 20.25 inches!

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A las 7am hubo un cambio de turno para las enfermeras y nunca le dijeron a Gabe que podía volver a entrar al cuarto. La nueva enfermera, al chequear al monitor se dió cuenta que las contracciones estaban MUY seguidas y quiso chequearme otra vez. Yo le dije que hace media hora antes estaba en 7cm, pero a sorpresa de todos: YA ESTABA EN 10! ¡¡Inmediatamente llamó a mi doctor y apenas el llegó ya me estaba pidiendo que pujara!!

*un pequeño paréntesis. Mi papá se pone muy nervioso en situaciones como esta. Como todos esperábamos que todo iba a ser más lento, él se fue al apartamento a pintar mi baño. Se podrán imaginar a mi mamá llamándolo 100 veces y dejándole mensajes de voz que regresara YA!*

La primera pregunta que le hice al midwife fue "como se supone que sé cuando pujar si estoy tan adormecida"; su respuesta fue que me lo imaginara. Todavía no sé como lo hice, pero me dí cuenta que Nico nació cuando veo a Gabe llorando y yo estaba super confundida. En cuestión de microsegundos tenía a Nico en mi pecho (piel con piel como lo llaman aquí). Estuvimos un ratito juntos antes que se lo llevaran a una mesita al lado de mi cama donde las enfermeras lo pesaron, midieron, y dejaron que Gabe cortara el cordón umbilical por segunda vez.

Nico nació el 17 de mayo del 2018, pesando 2.800 kg y 51cm.





Then I noticed my midwife was very focused on me and I kept seeing towels and towels full of blood. Not going to lie, I got scared and asked him if everything was okay. There was some tearing and I was being stitched up. I don't know how long it took for the stitches but it felt like an eternity, especially because I wanted to be with my baby. Gabe even left with the baby and the nurses to have him cleaned up. They also did some tests and his blood sugar was low- nothing a bit of formula milk wouldn't fix.

As you can see, my labor was definitely short. Between been admitted and Nico being born, only 4.5 hours passed.  What I wasn't expecting was how painful the recovery would be. After recovering the feeling in my body, everything started to hurt: the stitches, the tailbone, my lower back where they put the epidural. I would take 3 minutes to get out of the bed, it would hurt to sit, stand, walk, go to the bathroom, everything. I wanted to be there for Nico and I felt frustrated I couldn't get him out of the crib when he cried or stand to change his diapers.  I'm so thankful I had my mom, my mother in law, and Gabe there to help.

We stayed at the hospital two nights. The nurses at the South Miami Hospital were absolutely amazing.  I feel like each one taught us something different; each one had their own way of doing things and we were just absorbing every bit of knowledge they were sharing.

I still can't believe he is all ours! When I got home, I started crying of happiness while holding him because I just couldn't believe it. The two days in the hospital felt like a dream and it felt real when we got home.  Every bit of pain is all worth it for him. What can I say? We LOVE YOU NICO!



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Yo estaba tan pendiente de oír si Nico estaba bien que no me dí cuenta que el midwife seguía pendiente de mí. Luego vi toallas y toallas llenas de sangre y me preocupé. Me desgarré y estaban agarrando varios puntos. No se cuanto tiempo estuve ahí pero se sintió como una eternidad ya que yo solo quería estar con Nico y saber que todo estuviese bien. Yo le dije a Gabe que cuando se lo llevaran, fuera con las enfermeras- y así hizo. Lo bañaron, le hicieron varios exámenes, y por un momento causó pánico porque "se perdió"- hubo un malentendido por 2 minutos que hacen que Gabe casi se desmaye jaja.

Como pueden ver, todo fue realmente rápido. Pasaron solo 4-5 horas desde que llegué al hospital hasta que Nico nació. Pero algo que no me esperaba es lo doloroso que puede ser la recuperación. Cuando se fue el efecto de la anestesia, todo comenzó a doler: los puntos, el coxis, donde ponen la epidural, etc. Me tardaba 3 minutos en pararme de la cama y me dolía todo: sentarme, pararme,e ir al baño. No les miento, lo que más me dolía era sentir que no podía estar ahí para él cuando lloraba o para cambiarle su pañal.  Realmente agradezco mucho la ayuda de mi mamá, de Gabe, y de mi suegra.

¡Todavía no puedo creer que es NUESTRO! Después de 2 noches en la clínica, al llegar a la casa me guindé a llorar (de felicidad). Era como si todo lo del hospital hubiese sido un sueño . Y aunque todavía me estoy recuperando, todo vale la pena al verle la carita. ¿Qué más puedo decir? TE AMAMOS NICO!






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His & Her Klozet: Tropical Dates ...with Rockport

Thursday, May 24, 2018


These photos will always have a special place in my heart because this was the day I went into labor- this was the last day of just us, and the beginning of so much.

I'll share my whole birth story soon, but let's start with the day leading to it. My day began going to my midwife, who said everything was on track but it could still take a few weeks. Hearing this made me go into work-overdrive. I went shopping for some shoots, I started redecorating the bathroom, I even got a 1000piece puzzle to entertain myself while waiting for baby. Later in the afternoon, we got ready for a little date in our matching Rockport shoes from Zappos.  We headed to South Beach, got some green juice (all I've been craving during pregnancy), and just walked around (maybe it was all the walking that did the trick!).

At 39+ weeks pregnant, I had already given up on heels and  I felt I needed some dressier flats for my everyday. I headed to Zappos for fast and free shipping- they arrived in no time! I got these Rockport nude flats , that were the perfect mix of comfort and absolutely cute (plus they go with everything!). Since Gabe is such of a shoe-lover, he got these Rockport tan leather sneakers with a tailored vibe, so him! Not going to lie, we don't like fully matching- but we definitely like dressing within a theme haha. We both went for a tropical vibe that's oh-so-Miami.


Stay tuned for the birth story! And thank you so much for all the love!!













COUPLE PHOTOS BY ALEJANDRO VELIZ- LEGENDARY ALEX

REMIX: 35 looks with OVER-THE-KNEE BOOTS

Tuesday, May 15, 2018




You can call me "attached"; but when you find a great piece, you should hold on to it.
It's like that saying "why fix it if it's not broken".

I got these boots who knows how long ago, probably in 2014. They are from Guess, I tell you because that's the number one question; but as you can imagine, they don't sell them anymore. At the end of this post, you can see similar versions at different price points.

There are many things that make these boots great:
- They have a chunky heel so it's not the typical sexy over the knee boot.
- They are very narrow, so they don't fall off my knees.
- Well, as you can see, they go with EVERYTHING.

I did a remix with them in 2016, it included 12 looks. But I haven't stopped wearing them, they especially make their appearance in the colder months.


WHAT TO WEAR TO YOUR BABY SHOWER?

Monday, May 14, 2018



I've said it every time I talk about pregnancy style- all I want is to be comfortable. If we could, we probably would wear leggings and a big sweatshirt to our own baby shower

However, this is the occasion where all eyes will be on you and on your bump (and the perfect excuse buy something cute). Regularly baby showers are thrown during the last trimester of pregnancy. I celebrated mine at 32-33 weeks and I felt it was the perfect time time. There was cute bump to show  off and my energy levels were definitely higher than the latter weeks.

Per usual, there are many things you should take into consideration:
- Is it a outdoors or indoors?
- What's the theme? Is it glam, bohemian, or more casual?
- Is it a brunch, a sit-down lunch, or more of an afternoon get-together with light bites?

My first baby shower (you can see all details about it HERE) was outdoors so I knew I wanted a comfortable bohemian dress that went with the theme. Also I didn't want to wear any heels so I wore booties and a hat.  However, for my second baby shower. I knew I had to dress up a bit more since it was with an amazing group of 12 fashionable bloggers + itt was at a restaurant and a sit down lunch.

Now that you know the what, where, when. Let's talk outfit ideas!


WHITE/LACE DRESS


From Left to Right: Cara Loren, Barefoot Blonde, and Pink Peonies You can never go wrong with a white and/or lace dress. It shows off your bump beautifully and it has that angelic feeling of carrying a new life.  Go for a pop of color in your shoes (maybe hinting the baby's gender), and play with your hairstyle (buns and braids are a great idea).

If you are going for a body-con silhouette: make sure the fabric is stretchy enough so you will be comfortable all day. Breathable cottons are recommended.







MAXI DRESSES ARE YOU BEST FRIEND
Pregnant women look stunning in maxi dresses- and we sure are comfortable in them. These are a great option if you want to hide you swollen ankles and want overall comfort. You can wear your favorite sandals and look just as dressy as you would with heels.

Go for pastel maxis and floral prints. I also don't think it's necessary .but I think it's super cute when the mother is wearing pink/purple when it's a girl, and navy/blues when it's a boy. Also, the best way to show off your bump in a maxi dress is looking for dresses that cinch right above your bump.



ADD A KIMONO OR A DUSTER
You might be one of the "lucky" ones but pregnancy means gaining weight all over- and it's okay to be a bit conscious (I repeat, A BIT, you are stunning!! Looking for flattering silhouettes is not feeling shame the extra pounds).  Kimonos and dusters are a great way to keep the focus on the bump and keep it very flattering

They are also a great way to dress up jeans for a casual baby shower, or add a boho feel to any dress.



WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES

If the baby shower is in a garden, definitely stay away from heels. If it's a fancy sit down lunch, and you are not going to spend a lot of time standing up, go for your favorite heels.  I recommend shoes with a lower heel, a chunkier heel, wedges, booties, flats, or sandals.



What are you planning on wearing to your baby shower? or maybe share with us what you wore already? XOXO



“Friendly Beauty Ritual”- Beauty Lessons Passed Through Generations

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

This post was sponsored by Ulta Beauty. All opinions are my own.


With #MothersDay right around the corner, I’m excited to partner with  Ulta Beauty  and talk about the beauty lessons passed through generations in our family. I got together with my cousins and started to reminisce while playing with all things beauty, listening to music, and laughing until we couldn’t laugh no more.

But let me introduce you to them first…say hi to # 26, #27 and #28…as in grandchildren! Yes, we are that MANY cousins- big Hispanic family for sure. My grandma had 9 children, 6 were girls and 3 boys. I cannot imagine all the fights in that house about who took whose dress or lipstick. But it was probably so much fun. 


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Con el Día de la Madre a la vuelta de la esquina, estoy súper emocionada de unirme a Ulta Beauty para compartir algunas enseñanzas del mundo de la belleza que han pasado generación tras generación en nuestra familia.

Les presento a la # 26, # 27 y # 28…¡las 3 últimas nietas de nuestra abuela! (y ¡sí! Somos muchísimos primos). Hace poco me reuní con dos de mis primas  favoritas y empezamos a recordar a nuestra abuela mientras nos consentíamos con productos de belleza, escuchábamos música y nos reíamos sin parar.

Les cuento un poco de mi familia. Mi abuela tuvo 9 hijos, 6 mujeres y 3 hombres. Yo no puedo imaginar todas las peleas en esa casa sobre quien le robó tal vestido o labial a la otra, pero al mismo tiempo todos lo que compartían. 

Preventing Stretch Marks During Pregnancy- PRODUCT COMPARISON

Monday, May 7, 2018



A few weeks ago, I talked about "BODY IMAGE DURING PREGNANCY": about the pressure we feel to stay as small as possible, to not get stretch marks, to bounce back as soon as we give birth, etc. So before starting this article, I want to say it again: 

YOU ARE CREATING LIFE AND THERE ISN'T ANYTHING MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN THAT.

However, I'm not saying you should LET GO.   Loving your body means giving it the best it deserves.
You should definitely be active, eat your veggies, drink your water, have an extra delicious cookie, and why not? hydrate your skin to prevent or reduce stretch marks.  I just want you to enjoy this process, and not dwell in a few extra pounds or stretch marks because "society says so".


 There are many risks factors  when it comes to getting stretch marks- some are completely out of your control (genetics, carrying multiples, large baby, and excess of amniotic fluid) while on other factors, you have a bit of more control (diet, slow moderate weight gain, & hydration).

Butters, lotions, creams, and oils can help (especially with the itchiness and dryness)- but there isn't a magical formula.  I personally think they have worked for me, and it feels like a little moment to bond with my baby rubbing my belly.

I've gotten a few questions about the products I would recommend. So here they are : products I've used and tried + each one's pros and cons.